Mated queen needed

[buzzsting]

We only have one hive and it is queenless, we are based in west sussex. Does anyone have a mated unclipped queen we could buy?

 

[oliver90owner]

We only have one hive and it is queenless

A common misconception. Be sure it is queenless or any new queen will be toast.

Please tell us why you think it is Q- before potentially wasting your money.

 

[BKF Admin]

Can you get a test frame off a local Beekeeper ?

 

[buzzsting]

We had not seen the queen on 1 inspection and the bees had been very aggressive for about 2-3 weeks, we spoke to our local bee supplies about the bees behaviour (following us away from the hive and stinging when our suits were off!!) they said it may be they are without a queen, so we did a further inspection and could not see her. We bought a mated buckfast queen last weekend and introduced it to the hive, but at latest on Saturday (after a week) the queen does not appear to have been accepted - ie no sign of her, only a very small amount of capped brood, no sign of eggs and still very angry bees.

 

[plumberman]

Almost certainly the loss of your new queen backs up post #2 I'm afraid.

Bees can be ill tempered for many other reasons than queenlessness. As others have said, test frame is the only real way of finding out the true state of your colony.

 

[Pete D]

With capped brood still in the hive you have been at worst without a laying queen for 21-24 days. In ideal conditions you could have a new mated queen laying but in my short limited experience I have had new queens laying in 12 days but also 35 days. A hive I presumed queenless eventually came good. The bees view point became clear when they accepted a test frame and just got on with rearing the brood, no attempt at making queen cells.
Having said that this spring she turned in to a drone layer and was despatched.
Test frame and / or another dollop of patience me thinks, unless you know for sure you are queenless by your previous actions........... ie tearing down all queen cells etc after swarm had gone.
Good luck
Pete D

 

[oliver90owner]

a very small amount of capped brood

Absolutely nothing to do with the introduced queen, then, so irrelevant.

You have one of two likely scenarios.

Most likely there is a queen, less likely there are laying workers (if that were the case there would be a few cells with eggs or open brood).

Without some history detail, you are not helping yourself; or us (to be relatively certain of what is actually the true facts) and so offer anything more than suggest a test frame.

Our view is likely 90% plus correct, but, as yet still only guessing.

Here is that guess again: You already have a queen in the hive.

BTW, did your 'local bees supplies' supply you with your lost Buckfast queen by any chance?

RAB

 

[buzzsting]

Some helpful advice

OK, off to chat to my neighbours who we share the hive with and decide what to do. Thank for the advice

 

[Tom Bick]

How did you introduce the new queen?

 

[Moggs]

Little information and many possibilities. A new queen may take a considerable time (quite a few weeks) to become productive, especially in times of bad weather. Patience/ frame of eggs.